When I first started running social media, I used to obsess over the wrong numbers—follower counts, likes, reach. They looked good on paper, but honestly, they didn’t tell me much about whether our campaigns were actually working. Over time, I realized the real magic happens when you track the right KPIs—metrics that show if your content is actually connecting with people and helping the business grow.
Here are the KPIs I swear by (and why they matter).
1. Engagement Rate
Why it’s important:
Engagement shows how much people actually care about your content. Likes, comments, shares, saves—it’s the difference between someone just scrolling past you and someone stopping to interact.
How I look at it:
I don’t just count likes anymore. I always check engagement rate because it puts things in perspective. For context, according to Buffer LinkedIn posts average around 6.5% engagement, while TikTok sits at 4.8%, Facebook at 5%, and Instagram trails with just about 1.1%. For example, 200 likes on 50,000 followers? Meh. But 200 likes on 2,000 followers? That’s fire.
2. Reach vs. Impressions
Why it’s important:
These two get mixed up a lot. Reach = how many unique people saw your post. Impressions = how many times it was shown (even if the same person saw it five times).
How I look at it:
If reach is climbing, I know more new eyes are finding our brand. If impressions are high but engagement is flat, that’s usually a sign the content isn’t hitting the mark and I need to rethink the creative.
3. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Why it’s important:
Engagement is great, but clicks are where curiosity turns into action. CTR tells you if your content actually makes people want to learn more, visit your site, or check out your product.
How I look at it:
I’ve learned that small changes in CTAs make a huge difference. Something as simple as swapping “Learn More” for “See How It Works” once doubled the CTR on a campaign.
4. Conversion Rate
Why it’s important:
This is the ultimate test: are people not just clicking, but signing up, buying, or booking a demo? Conversion rate shows whether social is driving real business results.
How I look at it:
I always track conversion and cost per conversion together. 300 sign-ups sound amazing—until you realize each one cost $20. Context matters.
5. Follower Growth Rate
Why it’s important:
A growing audience usually means your brand is getting noticed. But the key is steady, organic growth—not random spikes from giveaways or bots.
How I look at it:
I don’t celebrate sudden jumps anymore. What I care about is: are the new followers sticking around, engaging, and becoming part of the community?
6. Share of Voice (SOV)
Why it’s important:
Social media isn’t just about you—it’s about where you stand compared to your competitors. Share of Voice shows how much people are talking about your brand vs. others in your space.
How I look at it:
I once worked on a campaign where our competitor was dominating conversations in our niche. Tracking SOV helped us find content gaps and jump into those conversations ourselves.
7. Sentiment
Why it’s important:
Not all mentions are good mentions. Sentiment tells you whether people are hyped about your brand or, well… complaining.
How I look at it:
Positive buzz usually means we’re building trust and loyalty. A sudden wave of negative comments? That’s my cue to step in, communicate fast, and fix the issue before it snowballs.
8. Response Time
Why it’s important:
Social isn’t just about posting—it’s also customer service. People expect fast replies, and the quicker you respond, the more trust you build.
How I look at it:
I keep an eye on how fast we reply to DMs and comments. It doesn’t just make customers happier—it also seems to give a little boost in platform algorithms.
Wrapping It Up
Here’s the thing: you don’t need to track every metric under the sun. Focus on the ones that match your actual goals. If you’re after awareness, reach and engagement matter most. If you’re pushing sales, CTR and conversions are your bread and butter.
The right KPIs don’t just give you numbers—they tell you a story. They show you what’s clicking with your audience, what’s falling flat, and where to adjust. Once you get that rhythm down, social media feels a lot less like guesswork and a lot more like strategy.
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